Commonwealth Club: Mark Pincus: Life at the Speed of Play

Come see a Silicon Valley legend and hear him share his wisdom for entrepreneurs, product managers, innovators and anyone who has an idea they dream of turning into a reality. Mark Pincus has been at the forefront of each iteration of the internet. He built the original app company ahead of the mobile app economy and sold virtual goods to the masses long before in-app purchase generated $85 billion on smartphones. As the founder of Zynga, he brought audiences FarmVille, CityVille, and Words with Friends, launching eight hit games and reaching more than a billion users in four years. Pincus has turned hit-making into a repeatable system, birthing one of his favorite guiding principles that “all new fails.” He shares what he’s learned—and done—in his new book Life at the Speed of Play, his framework for moving faster and massively increasing your odds of success. He says his insights and advice are essential in the new world of AI, where speed of testing and learning defines winners. Pincus offers actionable takeaways based on his unorthodox “Mark-isms,” including “hire people with broken resumes,” “protect investors from themselves,” and, paradoxically, to choose quality over quantity. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear a tech original share his essential “bible” for creative business leaders.